Clay Hill community centre needs your vote

Riverside Community Centre hoping to win funding for LED upgrade

A COMMUNITY centre in Newbury is fighting for funds to install new energy saving lights in its sports hall, in the hope of saving more than £1,000 per year.

The Riverside Community Centre, Clay Hill, is asking local people to help them win funding for the £6,000 LED lighting project by voting for them in the Marks and Spencer Energy Community Fund, before the bid closes on October 10.

The centre, run on behalf of West Berkshire Council by Clay Hill Residents Association, has been shortlisted in the running for a share of the £350,000 M&S energy funding scheme.

The centre is one of the key hubs of the community, with omore than 800 users a month and 25 volunteers providing essential services to the community, including a weekly junior youth club, a holiday club, Singing for the Brain run by the Alzheimer’s Society and sensory activities for babies.

Once installed, the new lighting should reduce energy use annually by 4,000KWh, saving £400, along with reduced annual maintenance costs of £1,000.

CHRA chairman Grahame Farquhar said: “We are delighted to be in with a chance of winning this important funding.

“However, it is vote-led and we desperately need local people to vote for us to give us a fighting chance of getting any cash.

“It doesn’t take long to register a vote and would mean so much to our community.

“It would not only enable us to install the lights but would help us to investigate further opportunities to enhance the sustainability and future of the centre.”